1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to control devices and, more specifically, to managing and configuring control devices such as remote controls for electronic devices.
2. Background Discussion
Many households include multiple electronic components such as televisions, digital video recorders (“DVRs”), television receivers such as satellite or cable television receivers, audio systems such as stereo systems, surround-sound systems and so on, digital video disc (“DVD”) players, security systems and so on that may be controlled by corresponding remote controls. For example, a television may have a corresponding remote control, an audio system may have a second remote control, and a television receiver may be controlled by yet another remote control. Accordingly, the user may have to program three remote controls in order to watch a movie on a television using a television receiver and a sound system.
However, certain remote controls may be programmed to control one or multiple components. Various buttons of the remote may be programmed to control various devices or perform various functions. Thus, one button on the universal remote control may correspond to and provide certain functions for multiple associated devices. The burden may then be on the user to remember which button on the remote control is associated with which device and which function. Furthermore, each additional remote control may require the user to re-program each of the buttons of a new remote control to access each of the components the user desires to control. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for the management and programming of control devices.